This six week course will explore nutrition concepts that take center stage in mainstream media outlets and become conversation topics among consumers interested in food choice as it relates to optimal health and physical performance.

Workload:2-4 hours/week

Watch intro video

Sessions:

May 6th 2013(6 weeks long)

Future sessions

About the Course

Separate fact from fiction and fads as you learn about core nutrition concepts and how to evaluate not only personal food choices and overall dietary patterns, but nutrition related content in the media and in advertising. Such topics include fundamentals of a healthful eating pattern, nutrition labeling, dietary supplements, fortified and “super” foods, plant-based nutrition, and nutrition and fitness. The course will also include an overview of nutrition fundamentals as they relate to human health.

During this course you will have the opportunity to:

Analyze and evaluate your own food and beverage intake using a reputable nutrient database.

Research of a dietary supplement of your choosing using credible informational websites as well as evidence-based medical literature.

Personally examine the concept of energy balance through determination of your calorie needs, intake and expenditure.

Course Syllabus

Week One: Just What is a Healthy Diet? A Balancing Act

Week Two: Nutrition Labeling: Facts, Claims, and Challenges

Week Three: Dietary Supplements: Evaluating the Evidence

Week Four: Functional and “Super” Foods: Their Role in Optimal Nutrition

Week Five: Plant-based Nutrition: Controversies and Considerations

Week Six: Nutrition and Fitness: Facts, Food, and Fuel

Recommended Background

No background required, all are welcome!

Suggested Readings

Each week the video lectures and posted slides will include links to credible websites referenced in the course and available to students for additional information. The textbook associated with the course, butnotrequired - the video lectures are designed to provide core content for this course - is Nutrition Now, 7th ed, by Judith Brown http://www.amazon.com/Nutrition-Now-Judith-E-Brown/dp/1133936539/re...

Course Format

The class will consist of lecture videos, which are between 5 and 20 minutes in length. Each video includes several questions that are not graded, but offered to foster personal insight and learning. In addition to the videos, there are weekly assignments that allow students to further explore topics and concepts. Each week also includes a weekly 10-15 question quiz that covers information from the video lectures that can be completed any time during the week it is offered or before the course concludes. Students have up to 3 attempts to master the quiz and each question provides an explanation for the correct answer.

You will find access to all course content on the home page. You will find more detailed information there about the course under Syllabus/Course Description.

You can choose your level of course involvement, whether it is just watching the videos or choosing to complete some or all of the assignments and weekly quizzes. Once enrolled, you have full access to all course content and can join us whenever your schedule allows. I do hope that you can take part on a weekly basis through the course offering. You do have the option of earning signed statements of accomplishment at the end of the course dependent upon your level of course participation and submission of some or all of the weekly assignments and quizzes.

About the Instructor

Replies to This Discussion

xover a 1/3 of all the oil and gas in the united states goes to food productions. food travels thousands of miles to get to your place. takes 10 calories of oil to get 1 calorie of food. energy is coming from fossil fuel. we have a free source of energy from the sun. we’ve used up about half of the fossil fuels AND half of all the soils in the past 100 years. to make new soil and fossil fuels in that amount of time is out of reach. what is a life after fossil fuels going to look like? we need to make our communities self reliant.

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1972: Norman Macrae starts up Entrepreneurial Revolution debates in The Economist. Will we the peoples be in time to change 20th C largest system designs and make 2010s worldwide youth's most productive time? or will we go global in a way that ends sustainability of ever more villages/communities? Drayton was inspired by this genre to coin social entrepreneur in 1978 ,,continue the futures debate here